While the fire is mostly out, the after-effects of the massive cold storage building blaze in Boyle Heights include this puzzle: How to transport 85 million pounds of rotting meat, while protecting residents from rats, powerful odors and environmental damage to the L.A. River.
These cleanup-related issues were the topic of a look ahead at what happens next, 14 days after the fire overtook the Lineage warehouse — a massive, 500,000-square-foot cold-storage building at 1400 S. Los Palos St. on the border of the city of Los Angeles and the county area of East L.A.
The fire has burned for two weeks, and released waves of particulates into the air that caused asthma attacks and other respiratory problems.
The post-fire analysis and next-steps discussion was conducted by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, June 30 at an open meeting.
“We are focusing on recovery of the L.A. River and the related waterways impacted,” said Mark Pestrella, director of L.A. County Public Works. “We are also looking at landfills to be used for disposal (of rotting food),” he told the board.
Public Works has collected “a significant amount of debris from the L.A. River system.” That is being stored so we can sort through it and test it and categorize it, so we can study the impacts on humans and wildlife,” Pestrella said.
Birds have died amid the runoff’s acidic conditions, he said. “It is related to the discharge of materials left at the facility.” He said debris flowing into storm drains and reaching the L.A. River has been brought under control by the department using booms to stop the flow.
Pestrella said his department have documented fish dying off in the river. This has occurred mostly where the river water is diverted into the Dominguez Gap Wetlands near Long Beach. He said the fish kill could be related to discharge of materials and foam from the fire but tests are not yet completed and the cause is inconclusive.
“The timing is suspicious,” he said. “We are looking at cause and effect and working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and our own biologists.”
Any pollution from the plant could be a direct violation of state and federal wetlands protection laws, he said.
The transport of the content — mostly rotting food and meat — will take thousands of truckloads on city and county streets to organic waste-processing facilities, some inside L.A. County and some elsewhere, he said. Public Works is working with L.A. city officials and Lineage, the owners, to decide on routes and avoiding residential streets as much as possible.
Until that material is removed, residents in Boyle Heights and neighboring East L.A. say the area smells of rotting garbage.
“The aroma and smells are so bad now it is it causing other physical issues, such as nausea,” said Solis. However, these smells are not toxic. “It is irritating but that’s pretty much it,” said Dr. Muntu Davis, the health officer for L.A. County.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she’s heard from those near the fire seeing a large number of rats.
“There is a high number of them seen by residents. They are feeding on the rotten food,” Barger said.
Supervisor Janice Hahn, who said she and her team helped give masks and air purifiers to residents and business owners in Commerce over the weekend, said she’s heard complaints of a smell “like rotten meat” coming from the sewers.
Barger wanted county officials and affected residents to be aware of unscrupulous lawyers or contractors asking people for personal information and sign on to class action lawsuits. Some may be fraudulently using personal information, she said.
“They are out there. And in my opinion, they are predators who are looking for a way to take advantage of a community in fear,” Barger said.
Eddie Torres, with the East Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, asked how he can get more N95 masks and air purifiers. So far, Solis said the county has handed out 7,000 air purifiers. “On Saturday, the stench was so bad even with a mask,” he said.